Liquid diffusing device



July 6, 1954 A 1 PEDlGO 21,683,058

LIQUID DIFFUSING DEVICE.

Filed May 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. J. PEDlGo 2,683,058

LIQUID DIFFUSING DEVICE July 6, 1954 Filed May 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ff? Ven for Patented July 6, 1954' LIQUID DIFFUSING DEVICE Arthur J. Pedigo, RichmomLgVa. Application May 6, 1952, Serial No. 286,339

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of valves and is directed particularly to a combination valve and spray unit designed especially for use in association with a refrigerator structure such, for example, as that forming the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 228,680 iled May 28, 1951, now Patent No. 2,665,562, January 1, 1954, of which application the present one is a continuation in part.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved valved nozzle construction in 'which novel means is provided for actuating the valve for the opening and closing of the nozzle of which it forms a part.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an improved valved nozzle wherein the construction is such that the opening and closing of the nozzle also eiects the automatic clearing of the outlet aperture or" any sediment which may have collected therein.

Still another object of the inventionis to provide an improved valvednozzle construction in the combination with a spray or vapor forming means whereby upon the opening of the nozzle the ejected liquid will be dispersed in all directions from the mouth of 'the nozzle in the form of a y line spray.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in the manner as hereinafter set forth, a combination valved nozzle and spray forming means wherein the combination valve and nozzle includes a needle closing element for the nozzle together with a novel means for effecting the reciprocation of the needle relative to the nozzle for the opening and closing of the latter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, withV the. understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described' since obvious modifications will occur to son skilled inthe art.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the combination valved nozzle and spray forming means constituting the present invention and showing also linkage mechanism for actuating the valve needle, portions of the mechanismr being broken away.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the actuata peractuating mechanism.

Figure 4 is a 4view illustrating a linkage connection with an electric solenoid for effecting the actuation of the valve needle.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partlyA in elevation of a second embodiment of the invention, showing the valve in opened position.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 with the section taken in a plane at right angles to the plane of section for Figure 6 and showing the valve in partly closed position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral IIl generally designates a supporting body which, in the Vco-pending application hereinbefore referred to comprises a cover for an air admission opening in the bottom or floor of an air circulating chamber. Such cover will herein be referred -to as the supporting body for a coil spring I2 which forms a part of the valve actuating mechanism and which, as shown rests upon the top of the support and is disposed coaXially with an opening I4 in the support I0.

The val-ved nozzle structure of the present invention comprises a water pipe I6 which is supported by any suitable means, not shown, preferably to have its outlet end directed downwardly as shown, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to a use wherein the nozzle is downwardly directed.

The pipe I6 is suitably threaded at its outlet end to receive an end portion of a coupling nipple I8.

Threaded into the other or lower end of the coupling nipple I8 is a threaded end of a dising mechanism for the valve needle, with portions broken away.

charge nozzle which is generally designated 20 and which, as shown, comprises the elongate tubular body 22, the axial passage of which is downwardly constricted through the major portion of its length as indicated at 24 where it joins at its 'lower end the narrow bore 26.

The lower Vend of the nozzle 20 is threaded into the opening 28 which is formed through and mid- Way between the ends of a bar 30. lAt each end of the bar 30 is an upstanding arm 3| and each arm has formed therethrough and through the end of the bar from which it projects, a tubular passage 32 to form a guide for a pin 33.

The two pins 33 have upon their upper ends the heads 34 which prevent the pins from escaping from the guides and the lower ends of the pins are connected with a disk 35 which is positioned in opposed relation with the outlet of the thereto the top end of an actuating stem 31, the

lower end of which stem is operatively coupled with suitable mechanism for effecting the .reciprocation oi the stem. Such mechanism is here shown as including a bell crank which is generally designated 33 and which comprises the top horizontal arm 35 and the downwardly extending arm lit. A suitable means is provided for pivotally supporting the bell crank 38 as, for example, the two spaced depending bracket ears el which are secured to the underc side of the support l@ as illustrated and have the angle of the bell crank positioned between their free ends as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

These bracket ears support a pivot pin 42 which passes transversely through the bell crank at the angle thereof so that the crank can oscillate.

t the outer end of the long arm 3S of the bell crank is the elliptical slot 43 and positioned in this slot is a pivot member 44 which is supported upon the pin [i which passes transversely through the lower end oi the stem 37.

The free end of the hanging arm All of the bell crank carries a pivot pin it to which is pivotally attached one end of a link 4l and at the free end i the link t? is a pin i8 which has attached to it one end of a pull spring t9, the other end of the spring being secured to any suitable fixed support, not shown, whereby to apply continuous pull on the link fl? and thus tend to oscillate the bell crank 38 in a direction to raise the upper arm 353 and thus shift the valve needle stem upwardly.

In the co-pending application hereinbeore referred to, an electric motor circuit control means is provided such as a thermostat which controls the operation ci a suitable solenoid operatively coupled with the bell crank 38 to actuate the nozzle control valve needle in accordance with temperature conditions in the structure in which the valve used. Such an electro-magnet is here illustrated in Figure 4 and designated 59 and this is shown as having its armature or core l connected by means or a connecting rod 52 and a cra k with a shaft 511 whereby upon inward and outward movement of the solenoid core 5! the connecting rod 52 and crank 53 will effect the turning of the shait 5d to which the crank 53 is secured.

The other end of the shaft is secured to an end of a crank arm 55, which has its other end ivotally connected with the link il by means of the pin it. rlhus it will be seen that upon the turning of the shaft 5d in one direction, as, for example, clockwise as viewed in Figure l, the bell crank 32 will be oscillated to pull down on stem 3'! and thus open the outlet of the nozzle il. Such downward movement of the stem 3? will Vstretch or tension the spring is so that when the solenoid is deenergized or the turning force applied to the shaft Se is released, the spring de will reversely oscillate the bell crank and move the valve needle upwardly to close the outlet passage it of the nozzle 2c.

Such upward movement of the needle 36 will also be assisted by the spring i2 which is compressed when the stem 3l is pulled downwardly.

When the valve nozzle is open to allow the liquid to be ejected from the passage 23, the outward owing liquid will strike against the disk or plate 35 from which it will be scattered in all directions in the form of a mist or spray.

Due to the formation of the free end or" the needle 36 and the close iit of the needle in the passage 26 any substance which may be carried by the liquid passing through the passage, which might tend to adhere to the wall of the passage will be scraped away by the needle entering the passage so that the movement of the needle into and out of the passage will keep the latter free or clear `at Yall times as will be readily obvious.

Due to the flared outer end portion of the pasi sage 2S or the enlargement of such outer end portion as indicated at 2S the free end of the needle 36 will be readily guided into the passage if it should not be in true alignment therewith.

ln the embodiment of the 'invention illustrated in Figures 6 and '7 a slightly different form of the needle valve is employed with va rack and gear segment or actuating the valve parts in place of the bell crank and lever elements shown in Figures l to 5.

In this modified embodiment the water pipe is designated Ilia.. The coupling nipple ita connects to the pipe It the valve nozzle which is generally designated .29a which comprises the tubular body 22a, the lower end of the passage 24a of which is reduced to provide the lower end portion of a small or narrow bore as designated at 26u, the lower end of which reduced bore is outwardly flared as indicated at 28h.

As in the iirst structure the lower end of the nozzle 2Enl is threaded into an opening 26a formed through and midway between the ends oi a transversely supported bar Sa at each end oi which is an upstanding tubular arm 3 la.

Disposed beneath the bar 39a is the water deiiecting disk 35a which carries the two upwardly extending pins 33a which pass through the tubular arms 31a, whereby the disk has free up and down movement with respect to the outlet end of the nozzle.

As in the previous structure this disk 35a overlies ya coil spring i211 which rests upon a supporting body which is generally designated Elia and constantly urges the upward movement of the disk 35a.

Formed as an integral part with the underside of the disk v35a at the center thereof is a downwardly extending stem l5 which passes through the opening Mc in the 4supporting body lila and through the center of the spring 2a. This stem has opening through its lower end, a bore or passage '55 which, near the top of the stem is reduced in diameter .as indicated at "ll to form a conical seat, and continues to and through the top of the plate 35a as a reduced bore i8 which is of approximately the same diameter as the bore 26d in the nozzle.

The lower end of the stem 'lli is externall threaded as shown to receive a packing nut 3&3 in which is a packing Ell and, above the packing a washer 3|.

Extending through the washer and packing is the valve stem 32 upon the upper end of which is carried the elongate cylindrical valve body S55 which has a conical tip Bil and extending upwardly from this tip is the valve needle 35 which slides in the bore 58.

.Secured to the lower end of the stern g2 is one end of a toothed rack t6 which extends downwardly from the valve stem as shown.

. be mounted upon a suitable support, in any suitable manner whereby the bracket will be held stationary. This bracket vcomprises a vertical arm 88 and, at its lower end, a horizontal arm 89.

The arm 89 has formed therethrough a threaded passage 98 which is in line with the lower end of the rack 86 and threaded through this passage 9d is a guide sleeve 9| which carries a binding nut 92 which bears against the underside of the arm 89.

Extending downwardly from the lower end of the rack 88 is a guide rod 93 Which slides through the sleeve 9| and encircling this rod 93 and interposed between the upper end of the sleeve 9i and the lower end of the rack 86 is the expansion spring 94.

Cil

As will be readily seen the tension of the spring l 94 can be changed `by upward or downward movement of the sleeve 9|.

The upper end of the arm 88 is formed to provide the transverse shaft bearing 95 through which extends an end of a shaft 96 which corresponds to the shaft 54 hereinbefore referred to. This shaft is actuated in the same manner as the shaft Ell and accordingly it is not believed necessary to illustrate the operating means therefor.

Carried upon the end of the shaft 96 which, as shown in Figure 7, extends across the toothed side of the rack 85 and in spaced relation therewith, is a gear sector 91 the teeth 98 of which are in engagement with the teeth Sta of the rack 88.

In the operation of this second embodiment of the invention when the gear sector 91 is turned in a direction to raise the rack 88 the valve body 83 will slide upwardly in the lower part of the passage 18 until the tapered upper end 84 contacts the seat 11. This projects the needle 85 through the passage 78 toward the passage 28a. The plate 35 will be elevated and the needle 85 will pass into the passage 26a to close the same and also to remove therefrom any material which may have adhered to the wall of such passage or bore.

Upon the reverse rotation of the gear sector 91 the needle is irst drawn out of the bore or passage 26a of the nozzle and lowered until the lower end of the body 83 strikes the washer 8|. The needle 85 will then be fully retracted into the passage or bore y'Hl and the plate 35a will then be pulled downward until the pins 33a have been lowered to the stopping point, where heads 34 and 34a engage the top of guides 3l or 31a.

In order to give complete stability to the structure shown in Figures 6 and 7, and particularly with a view to preventing slipping of the segment teeth 98 from the rack teeth 86a, the arm 89, which will be secured by the extended end portion 89a to a suitable iixed or rigid support, may be provided with an upright post 95', carrying at its top end an inturned finger 95' which rotatably supports a roller 91', which bears against the @back of the rack bar 85, as shown, in opposed relation with the segment 91. Thus when a sudden turning force is applied to the segment, which would tend to push the rack away from it, the roller 91 will oppose such push and maintain the proper engagement of the gear teeth.

While the nozzle passage 26 or 26a will be l0 closed against the passage of water when the needle 39 or 85 is incompletely inserted in its respective passage, as illustrated in Figure 7, it is 6 intended that the needle extend fully through its passage so asto insure the complete removal from.

the wall of the passage of any matter which may have adhered thereto so that when the needle is withdrawn such matter will be discharged.

If an additional shut-oil should be desired in lassociation with the needle in the nozzle passage,

this can be effected by making a suitable arrangement of the parts of the plate or disk 35 or 35a to cause the same to seat against the lower end of the nozzle but some slight leakage of the water past the end of the nozzle may be desired to avoid freezing when the valve is closed.

When the present valved nozzle is used in a refrigerator construction of the character shown in the hereinbefore referred to application the at mosphere of the refrigerator will be effectively humidifled as desired to facilitate the functioning of the refrigerator structure in the desired manner.

I claim:

l. A liquid diiusing device, comprising a nozzle adapted to be connected to a liquid conduit and having a small discharge bore, a pair of guides carried by and extending at opposite sides and longitudinally of the nozzle, a deflection plate of flat dish form spaced from the outlet end of said bore in centered relation with respect thereto, guide pins carried by said plate and slidably engaged in said guides, a needle supported by said plate in line with said bore to enter the latter upon movement of the plate toward the nozzle, spring means beneath the pla-te and urging the same toward the nozzle, a stem connected to the underside of the plate centrally thereof, and means operatively connected with the stem for effecting reciprocation of the same.

2. In a liquid diffusing; device, a vertically disposed nozzle for connection with a liquid supply conduit, said nozzle having a relatively small downwardly directed outlet bore and its discharge end outwardly and downwardly tapered, a cross,- bar carried at the outlet end of said nozzle, a vertically reciprocable rod below and in line with said nozzle, a liquid deflecting disk centered on the upper end of said Vrod, a valve needle rising from the center of the upper side of said disk to open and close said outlet bore during the reciprocatory movements of said rod, a pair of oppositely disposed guide pins rising from said disk and passing through guide passages in the opposite ends of said crossbar, a coil spring encircling said rod and bearing against the under side of said disk for cooperation with the rod in its upward movements to aifect engagement of said valve needle with the outlet bore, and means for actuating said rod.

3. The device as dened in claim 2, which a horizontally disposed and upwardly dished supporting body having a central opening through which said rod projects and the lower end of said spring seated thereon, and the said rod actuating means is suspended from the under side of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 724,685 Evans Apr. 7, 1903 1,088,318 Bicalky Feb. 24, 1914 1,575,895 Baker Mar. 9, 1926 2,614,885 Roell et al Oct. 21, 1952 

